Method of making metal wheels



Jan. 12 1926.

E. E. EENFELDT METHOD OF MAKING METAL WHEELS Filed June 10, 1924 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 Z -l I i VZCLWU A I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 12 1926.

E. E. E'INFELDT METHOD OFIMAKING METAL WHEELS Filed June 10, 1924 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYIS.

i be'under tension or pull.

4 the hub shell due to the'butt-welding of the p Pate median. 12, 19 26.. a I I I i f ERNEST nvmmrr sums-nun or navnnroh'r, Iowa, nssrenon To a. warson man ra, :rosaran HECET, AND w. n. sracxnousa, an. or navnnronr, IOWA, .comrosm'e rrrn FIRM or reun on & lancer, or navnnronniowa.

mnrnon or MAKING METAL- WHEELS. Applies/den filed mime, m4.- .Serlal x5. 719,058;

I In the accompanying drawings:

- Fig. 1 is an elevati x spokes attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is an elevationof an open ended rim. Fig.3 is aview in elevation showing the To alZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST E. Emrntn'r, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State 5 of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Metal Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the making of metal wheels and consists of an improved method of connecting the parts of the wheel together, with the View to producing a wheel of strong and durable construction, of true circular form, and in which-the spokes, will welded. I

Fig. 3* shows an enlarged detail of .the rim' and spokeconnection.

ends in operative relation'to heating and heading devices. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the completed wheel resulting from the-practice of'my method. f

Fig. 6 is a detail of the heading device as applied to the spokes.

Referring to the drawings:

In carryingout the invention in the preferred method of procedure, spokes are provided, and an open ended rim is also provided having holes to receive the spoke ends, which holes are of greater diameter than that of the spoke ends, and the rim is assembled on the spokes with the ends of the latter seated in said holes so that there is permitted a limited circumferential play of the assembled rim relative to the spokes. The ends :of the rim are now connected tov gether, 'preterably by butt-welding, whichaction will result in a slight decrease in the diameter of the rim, which decrease in diam? ete'r, will, by reason of the circumferential play of the rim, be permitted without bringing any lateral stresses on or causing distortion of thespokes'; and'finally the spoke ends are rigidly connected with therim', as by upsetting or heading operations, or the lie. The method of procedure above outlined is applicable as well in the connection of the spokes to the hub, by employing an open 0 ended .hub shell with holes ofgreater diam- .eter than that of the spoke ends to-receive.

the latter, and permit circumferential play sembled and with'it's ends abutting as shown of the hub shell, the decrease in diameter of at 7', the inner'side'of the rim' will be disosed outward of and free of contact with vide as shown-in Fig. 1, spokes 1- having on their outer ends reduced tenons 2, and shout ders 3 at the base of the tenons. These spokes are previously fixedly connected at their inner ends to a hub 4,.either by casting the hub on the spokes, or by heading the spokes in. the hub, or by other suitable known in the art'as a wheel spider. I next provide'an 0 shown in Fig. 2, in which rim, holes 6 are presently appear.

in the holes as shown in same being permitted b reason'of saidplay the shoulders 3 on the spokes.

without distortion of t e s okes.- However in-practising my invention, preferto apply the same in connecting the spokes to the rim of the wheel, and in the following detailed I deseriptionof the invention and in the drawand the inter or of t I .ings illustrating how the same is carried nect'theends of therim' together to make into. efiect th f invention is so di closed.

a limited amount of circumferential play or movement relative to the spokes, due to the clearance between the -exterior of the tenons effect in the preferred manner, I first promeans, this construction producing what is en ended wheel rim 5 as.

The rim as thus assembled on the spokes'is permitted he-hol'es.- '1 next con-,

onof awheel'hub with f rim assembled on the spokes, with the ends of the rim abutting preparatory to being Fig) 4 is a sim1lar View showing the rim I after being welded, and with adj acent-spoke In carrying my improved method into I formed'to receive the spokeltenons 3, which holes are of adiameter greater than that of the tenons,- the purpose of which will.

The rim is next assem-. bled on the'spokes with the tenons seated Fig. 3, the size of the rim being such that whenthus asthe same continuous,fandthis I prefer to I eifect by butt-welding, in which operation the two endsof the rim are heated, and in order to bring about a good joint or weld,-

the ends arepressed a ainst each other with suflicient force to thro up a: flash'or burr 8 as shown in Fig. 4. -D ue1to the formation of this burr, the rim will decrease in di ameter, but by reasonof the relative play it will take its final and definite size without bringing any ,lateral stresses on or causing. distortion of the to the spokes,

' spokes. In the decrease of the diameter of very closely wit In the nextand final step of the perhaps loosel'yfor lightly thereon; or under other the rim' in the welding operation as described, its inner side will be brought closer down to the shoulders 3 on the spokes, and

according to conditions, will seat approach the shoulders out contacting .with' the conditions it ma same. method, the spoke down on the rim, rim will be forced tightlyends or tenons-are headed with the result that. the

against the shoulders on the spokes and seated solidly againstmetal, be effected without the. application of heat, by means of a suitable heading or' device, many forms of.

upsetting tool or which are well known in this art; but when the spokes are formed of harder metal, such as high carbon steel for instance, .it will be necessary to heat the spokes before heading the same. In such cases I-prefer to heat and head adjacent spoke ends simultaneously,

and. repeat such simultaneous .operations on i the successive spokes, so that while one spoke end is being heated, the previously heated spoke end will be headed. These operations may be conveniently performed by'supporting the assembled wheel as shown in so that it may be turned on its axis, and by providing an electric heatin device 9, and a heading device 10, the said two devices being so spaced vand positionedthat when one spoke end is in operative relation to the heating device, the next adjacent spoke end will be in operative re ation to the heading device. With the parts positioned as. shown in Fig, .4, while the tenon of spoke A is being-heated, the tenon of the adjacent spoke B will be headed, and on the completion of such simultaneous, operations, the wheel is turned to bring spoke B into 0 erative relation to the heading device, an to bring the next spoke G intoope'rative relation to the heating device, and these operations are repeated on the successive spokes until they ave all been fastened ri idly'to the rim and the fprmationof the w eel com leted.

In the heading down of the e ends, the be caused to seat tightly and dl the spoke shoulders as above described, and will be forced inwardly slightly at points in its circumference corresponding to the location of the spoke shoulders, therebyc'ausing apull to be exerted on the spokes" and producing a tension wheel, but without destroying thegeneral circular form of the rim.

The welding of .the rim ends may be effected in-any suitable manner and by the employment of any suitable'device which will bring about the butt-welding of said ends. I prefer'however to employ electric weld: ing means for this-purpose, many forms of which devices are well known in the'art.

.In the foregoing description and accompanying ferredmanner of method, but itiwill be'understood that the invention is not limited .to the precise method' ofproce'dure set forth, nor to the particular construction and form of the drawings Ihave set forth the prepractising my improved parts of thewheel illustrated, as the method of procedure may be varied within theskill of the mechanic without departing from the limits of the invention; and it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular steps set forth, except, in so far as such'v limitations are specified in the-claims.

Having thus described my, invention, what I claim is:'- I

1. The method of makingmetal wheels, whiclr consists in wembling an open wheel member on spokes and providin for circumferential play of the assembed wheel member relative, to thespokes, connecting the ends of the wheel membertogether whereby the circumferential play of the wheel member will prevent lateral stresses on the spokes, and .finally fastening the spokes rigidly to said wheel member. 2; The method of making metal wheels, which consists in providing a hubyand connected spokes, roviding an open rim, "assembling the nmon thespokes and pro viding for circumferential play of the assembled rim relative Ito the spokes, connecting the ends of the rinl together whereby the circumferential play of the rim will plplevente lateral stresses-on thespokes, and ally fastening the spokes rigidly tothe r1 3. The method of making metal wheels,

which consists in providing spokes, pro-' open ended wheel member having ater diameter than that of the viding an holes of spoke on s, assembling the wheel'member on the spokes with the ends of the latter seated in said holes, whereby circumferential. play of the assembled wheel member relative to the spokes will be permitted, butt-welding the ends of the wheel member, and finally fastening the spoke ends rigidly to the wheel member.

e. The method of-inaking metal wheelsh,

lit)

which consists in providin spokes, providing an open ended rim iaving holes of greater diameter than that of the spoke ends, assembling the rim on the spokes with the ends of the latter seated in said holes, whereby circumferential play of the assembled rim relative to the spokes will be permitted, butt- Welding the ends of the rim, and finally fastening the spoke ends rigidly to the rim. 5. The method of making metal wheels, which consists in providing spokes having shoulders and end tenons, providing an open ended wheel member having holes of greater diameter than that of the tenons, assembling the wheel member on the spokes with the tenons seated in said holes, whereby circumferential play of the assembled wheel member relative to the spokes will be permitted, butt-welding the ends of the wheel member, and finally heading the spoke tenons down on the rim to seat the latter against the shoulders and effect the rigid connection of the spokes with the wheel member. I

6. The method of making metal wheels, which consists in providing spokes having shoulders and end tenons, providing an open ended rim having holes of greater diameter than that of the tenons, assembling the rim on the spokes with the tenons seated in said holes, whereby circumferential play of the assembled rim relative to the spokes will be permitted, butt-welding the ends of the rim while the latter is free to move circumferentially relative to the spokes, whereby the rim will assume its final and definite diameter without distortion of the spokes, and finally heading the tenons down on the rim and seating the latter against the shoulders to effect the rigid connection of the spokes with the rim.

7. The method of making metal Wheels,

which consists in providing spokes having shoulders and end tenons, providing an open ended rim having holes of greater diameter than that of the tenons, assembling the rim. on the spokes with the tenons seated in said holes, whereby circumferential play of the assembled rim relative to the spokes will be permitted, butt-Welding the ends of the rim while the latter is free to move circumferentially relative to the spokes, whereby the rim will assume its final and definite diameter without distortion of the spokes, simultaneously heating one spoke tenon and heading the previousl heated tenondown on the rim to seat the rim against the spoke shoulder and secure the spoke rigidly to. the rim, and repeating said simultaneous operations on the successive spoke tenons.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature hereto.

ERNEST EVERETT EINFELDT. 

